Firewall/anti-virus for Windows 7 Starter Editon

[lago]

My wife recently got a Dell notebook with Windows 7 Starter Edition. She is happy with it but I need to do something about anti-virus. The free McAfee is about to expire. We have free CA Security from Time Warner but according to them, it 'may' not work with the Starter Edition. I was told to try it and if it didn't work, get something else.

Anyone have any suggestions? I am starting to look around at other options. I did see the post on Microsoft Security Essentials and am looking at that.

Lago

[Cochese]

I'll reiterate my love for MSE. Two years, zero virii/trojans have made it through. I do a deeper check with some of more powerful tools every once in awhile to check up on it, and they've found nada.

[dbhost]

My default answer would be to wipe Windows and throw Linux on there, but then again, I realize that isn't for everyone....

I have had excellent results with Norton 360 on XP. I use AVG on the phone. Several of my colleagues have been using AVG for a while now on both PC and Android and have had no problems at all...

Microsoft Security Essentials is a nice try. But I wouldn't trust it...

[Cochese]

Microsoft Security Essentials is a nice try. But I wouldn't trust it...

Please elaborate.

[Stytooner]

I use 360 on all my computers that are linked online. About 70 bucks for three machines, but never had an instance of it not doing what it is supposed to. In the past, LOML's computer would catch a virus and shortly thereafter, it would propagate to mine. Network stuff and a good reason to set your share stuff correctly. It does slow the computer though. Not like a virus does, so not a bad trade in the end.

[BobSch]

I'm currently using Avast! but have used AVG in the past. Both work well and are free. ZoneAlarm makes a good firewall that's also free.

MSE gets god reviews on the computer boards I scan now and then. I know trusting MS goes against the grain, but this time it looks like they got it right.

[sweensdv]

I'll reiterate my love for MSE. Two years, zero virii/trojans have made it through. I do a deeper check with some of more powerful tools every once in awhile to check up on it, and they've found nada.

+1 I totally agree. When I bought my Dell computer the first thing I did was delete the McAfee and install MSE. This was done on the advice of my semi-computer savy brother and so far, zero problems.

[dbhost]

Please elaborate.

Specifically, I tried using it on an infected XP box. There was no way to boot to a separate recovery media and run it so that you didn't have the virus loaded in memory. Norton allows you to have a recovery CDROM to boot from and scan / remove viruses..

Likewise, I have scanned boxes with Norton that have Microsoft Security Essentials loaded. MSE claims the box is virus / malware free, but Norton finds viruses Microsoft misses...

Not saying MSE is useless, but it shouldn't be the only anti virus / anti malware tool you use is all I am saying...

[Cochese]

In my experience, Norton has so many false positives that I haven't recommended it to anyone in awhile.

I personally don't fool with recovery, and do everything manually. It's a bit more labor-intensive, but I've had a 100% success rate so far.


If you don't go MSE, go Kapersky. Highly rated for years now. Some recommend Panda, and I've used it before too.

[dbhost]

In my experience, Norton has so many false positives that I haven't recommended it to anyone in awhile.

I personally don't fool with recovery, and do everything manually. It's a bit more labor-intensive, but I've had a 100% success rate so far.


If you don't go MSE, go Kapersky. Highly rated for years now. Some recommend Panda, and I've used it before too.

FWIW, I would MUCH rather have a false positive in the scan, than a false negative...

As far as rebuilding manually. The user did not have install media for their copy of XP, and the license key was not afffixed to the case. In the long run. We blew Windows out and installed Ubuntu, showed her how to use it, and sent her on her happy way... (she ONLY uses a computer to surf the net, work very simple spreadsheets, and get email). Honestly this user needs a Mac and paid tech support...

[dbhost]

I'm currently using Avast! but have used AVG in the past. Both work well and are free. ZoneAlarm makes a good firewall that's also free.

MSE gets god reviews on the computer boards I scan now and then. I know trusting MS goes against the grain, but this time it looks like they got it right.

And admittedly THAT may be part of my issue with MSE... I just don't trust Microsoft.

[phrog]

I 've used Zone Alarm Internet Security for several years with good results. I was told that the Anti-Virus part is actually Kaspersky but have not verified that. In any case it works well. Zone Alarm offers a free firewall which many geeks use. The pay version which I have has more bells and whistles and the Anti-virus is built in as well. It also has ID protection which my last version offered a 1-year free subscription to Identity Guard credit monitoring. It has built in parental controls for those who have children.

[BobSch]

SuperAnti Spyware http://www.superantispyware.com/?tag=SUPERANTISPYWARE and Malwarebytes Anti Malware http://www.malwarebytes.org/ are good additions, too. AV software by itself doesn't catch everything.

[cwsmith]

Well this is certainly a timely subject for me. After using a computer since way back in the late 70's, I just got hit with my very first virus/malware! And it totally screwed up my laptop. Innocent enough, I was simply "surfing" trying to pick up the latest information on 22 rimfire ammunition (decided to explore the hobby, long missed from my teens). Well bam! I got hit and it so totally overwhelmed my laptop that I found the CPU overwhelmed enough that it would go "blue screen" on me!

While I was able to identify much of the problem, I must admit that I haven't kept up enough to resolve it on my own. My son took the laptop and spent about six hours cleaning out the "new malware" trojan. He used "Malwarebytes" which I understand is a free download. That program and "Kaspersky Internet 2011" did the trick.

In the past I have used Norton, but I found it caused as many overload problems as it helped. Just too much "overhead" I think, unless you have an abundance of RAM and harddrive space.

With the Security Edition of AOL, they provided McKaffee... but I didn't bother to renew it, as it simply is too intrucive. Constantly scanning the hardrive, jumping in when I'm in the middle of a project etc.

I have Roadrunner, and the CA is supposed to be available for free. But I found absolutely NO support from Time Warner. I found the program constantly freezing up the computer and interferring with my AOL... which it didn't work well with. Odd, since they are both the same company.

We used CA at work, but again it was just a burden on the network system and we ended up dropping it there.

I've been running the "Kaspersky Internet Security 2011" for about three weeks now and really like it. The daily updates are almost invisible and don't seem to drag on the computer at all. Good interface and easy installation too. There is a 30-day free trial that my son downloaded first (that's just the basic Antivirus 2011, which included the firewall, anti-virus, anti-malware, etc.)

After we got everything up and running and the malware removed, I purchased the "Kaspersky Internet Security 2011" from Amazon and I think the total cost was $38 for a 3-unit 1-year subscription. I contacted a technician via their live "chat" sessions (I also believe they have a phone contact system in place also).

I hope this helps, (Oh, I have absolutely NO interests with the Kaspersky folks.)

CWS

[sparkeyjames]

I know trusting MS goes against the grain, but this time it looks like they got it right.

I trust not the company that said there was nothing wrong with IE7 and secretly withheld critical security updates for it for over a year. All software has bugs and some companies just deny it better than others M$ has a long streak of denying their software has major flaws *cough VISTA cough*.